Volkswagen Group and Qatar have agreed to develop a public transit system of autonomous shuttles and buses by 2022 for the capital metropolis of Doha.
The settlement signed Saturday by VW Group and the Qatar Investment Authority is an expansive challenge that may contain 4 manufacturers beneath VW Group, together with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania, its shared experience service MOIA and Audi subsidiary Autonomous Intelligent Driving, or AID.
The purpose is to develop the whole transport system, together with the electrical autonomous shuttles and buses, authorized framework, metropolis infrastructure and ride-hailing software program required to deploy a industrial service there. The autonomous automobiles will likely be built-in into current public transit.
“For our cities to progress we need a new wave of innovation,” QIA CEO Mansoor Al Mahmoud mentioned in an announcement. “AI-enabled, emission-free transportation applied sciences will assist advance city mobility, whereas diminishing congestion and bettering vitality effectivity.
The fleet will embody 35 autonomous electrical ID. Buzz automobiles from the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles unit, which can shuttle as much as 4 passengers on semi-fixed routes in a geo-fenced space of Doha. Another 10 Scania buses will likely be used for bigger teams.
Closed testing of the shuttle automobiles and buses is predicted to start in 2020. Trials might begin as early as 2021. VW and QIA mentioned the challenge will go stay by the top of 2022.
